


A Trick Or a Treat

by Abbyromana



Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-10
Updated: 2019-09-10
Packaged: 2020-10-14 02:23:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,807
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20593118
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Abbyromana/pseuds/Abbyromana
Summary: Dick Grayson learns to never say impossible to Barbara Gordon and her father realizes that Bruce Wayne is far from a straightforward play boy billionaire.





	A Trick Or a Treat

No one had told Jim Gordon that the Halloween costume party was a social event meant only for adults. The police captain stood at the main doors to the ballroom holding the hand of his twelve year old daughter, Barbara. She was the only child within sight. They looked quite the odd pair: her dressed in a homemade Red Riding Hood outfit and him dressed in a makeshift Sherlock Holmes outfit. Unlike the rest of the guests, their costumes together probably cost less than a tenth of the price of any others.

Sighing heavily, Gordon grumbled over the Commissioner’s order to come to this party. Gordon understood the importance of the lead officers of Gotham’s police to be seen interacting as members of the community. It was particularly important at a social gathering hosted by Gotham’s favorite son, Bruce Wayne. He just wished he wasn’t chosen for this event. He much rather be home, handing candy out to the trick-o’-treaters or taking Barbara and John trick-o’-treating.

A tug on one of his hands reminded him that he wasn’t alone. Looking down at Barbara in her ankle length red cloak with her hood pulled up, he asked with a small smile, “What is it, sweetheart?”

“You aren’t happy to be here, are you, Dad?” she stated as a fact more than asked.

Chuckling, he was reminded how intuitive his little girl was, particularly concerning him. “Not exactly, Barbara.”

“Dad?” she asked with that incredulous tone of her mother.

“Okay, maybe you’re right,” he admitted.

“If you want to go, I’m okay with that,” she said, glancing out over the crowds of fancily dressed people with a scrutinizing look. Her nose wrinkled. “I don’t think I’d like being here anyway. There’s no candy.”

Gordon nodded in agreement but stopped short of turning to go when he heard someone call out his name:

“Captain Gordon!”

Looking up towards the largest group, Gordon saw Bruce Wayne dressed up in a tux emerge, holding a decorative mask. There was a wide smile on his face as he strode towards them. He reached out a hand to Gordon. “Or is it Sherlock Gordon tonight?”

Both men chuckled as Gordon politely accepted Wayne’s hand.

“It’s so good to see you. I’m glad you could make it,” he said, before turning his sight to Barbara. “Both of you.” Once he had released Jim’s hand, he beamed at Barbara. “You’re Barbara, right?”

Being ever the polite little girl Gordon raised, even in less than favorable situations, Barbara smiled back, offering a hand and saying, “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Wayne.”

“Call me, Bruce,” Wayne replied, shaking her hand. “My ward has spoken quite positively about you.”

Gordon noticed how Barbara suddenly blushed at the mention of Wayne’s ward.

“I hope it’s not a problem her coming, Bruce,” Gordon said, partially looking for an excuse to leave the party. “I hadn’t realized that there weren’t going to be any other children.”

“Oh, it’s no problem,” Wayne said with a chuckle. “And she isn’t the only child. Richard and a friend of his, Roy Harper, are running about somewhere.” He turned to his left and spoke to a man with a small black mustache and smoothed back, dark hair that Gordon had completely missed arriving before. It only took a moment for Gordon to remember that the older man was Bruce Wayne’s butler, Alfred Pennyworth. “Alfred, do you know where the boys are?”

“I do believe, sir, that Master Richard and Master Roy took some snacks down to games room just the floor below us,” Alfred said, while expertly balancing a tray of drinks that he held out before him. “I believe they were going to, as Master Roy put it, ‘prove which of them had better game… or was aim’. I admit I had trouble understanding young Master Roy over Master Lucius’ speech, sir.”

Wayne chuckled, taking a glass from the tray. “Boys,” he said, raising both his eyebrows in Gordon’s direction with a shrug. He took a sip of his glass as Gordon took the other glass.

Alfred continued, “If it please you, sirs, I can show Miss Barbara down stairs to them. I’m sure they’d appreciate an objective third party in their endeavors, and there should still be some sweets down there as well.”

As Gordon took a sip, he looked towards his little Red Riding Hood. “Do you want to, Barbara? It might be more fun than up here?”

There was a contemplative look on the young girl’s face: a mixture of repugnant at the thought hanging out with boys younger than her but also curiosity driven interest. Gordon knew Barbara already knew Richard Grayson and liked him well enough. They’d met on a few separate occasions, usually school-related. The reason for their first meeting stood out in particular in Gordon’s mind. They'd met at Gotham's Natural History Museum during the infamous robbery by the dastardly King Tut. While their respective classes had been evacuated, the two of them had somehow gotten locked in the Egyptian exhibit area with King Tut and his goons. According to Barbara, the young man had acted quite bravely, doing everything to keep Barbara safe, while both she and he watched the 'fearless' Batman take care of King Tut. She talked about nothing else for a full two weeks afterwards.

“I suppose so,” Barbara stated. “If there is candy.”

Alfred smiled warmly at her. “I assure you, Miss Barbara, there will be.”

“Okay, then,” she said with a broad smile, showing off her braces.

“Then, follow me, Miss Riding Hood,” Alfred said, moving around Gordon and Wayne. As Barbara went to follow, Gordon felt a hand on his shoulder.

Turning back toward Wayne, he saw the favorite son of Gotham gesture towards the crowds. “Come, Jim. There are some people I like you to meet. Just the sort a man like you might want to get to know, if he’s going to be commissioner one day.”

Despite the smile he plastered on his face, Gordon mentally grumbled, ‘Oh, joy!’ He was not going to relish this.

oOo

The last two hours hadn't been as bad as Gordon imagined. Thanks to Wayne he now not only knew who the direct secretary under the Mayor and the Deputy Mayor, both of who had the right ear of the Mayor's office, but he'd finally met the famous, up and coming assistant district attorney, Mr. Harvey Dent. The two of them had clicked almost immediately. That wasn't as true with Gordon and Wayne.  
  
Not that he didn't like Wayne, but he didn't quite understand Gotham's favorite son. Any guy who ran as many charities for the city and its people was good in Gordon’s book. It was just that the man could be such a complete idiot and bumbling fool at times. While great a speaking, he seemed quite able to forget things or get distracted at the drop of a hat. Other times, it was like talking to a completely different person: a brilliant and clever man with just the right measure of wit and charm mixed with a brutal coldness. In that respect, Wayne reminded Gordon of Batman: the caped vigilant of Gotham, who he had met on more than a few occasions since joining the Gotham police force.

“Speaking of the Dark Knight,” Gordon said, spotting the giant bat signal in the sky just out the vast window. Even though, he knew he probably wasn’t needed, Gordon thought that was as good as an excuse as any to leave. These sorts of social gatherings weren’t for him. He’d come, shown his face, and as far as he was concerned, could leave now. As he moved in the direction of the main door, Gordon reminded himself to say goodbye to Wayne. Glancing around, he hoped to spot the man, but he was nowhere in sight.

“Are you endeavoring to find Miss Barbara, Captain Gordon?” Alfred asked suddenly. Once again, Gordon had not seen the man appear at his side.

Ignoring the mental suggestion of magic, he addressed the older man. “Not exactly. I was hoping to thank Mr. Wayne for inviting me before I go, but now that you mention it, I was wondering where Barbara is.”

Raising a single eyebrow, Alfred nodded. “Mr. Wayne must have moved to the attached room. He’s been quite busy to night, needing to mingle with many different people.”

“No doubt,” Gordon commented with a chuckle, recalling quite a few blondes and brunettes swarming around him the last time he saw the play boy.

“As for Miss Barbara,” said Alfred, gesturing out the main doors. “Please follow me. I do believe she, Master Richard, and Master Roy are still down stairs in the game’s room.”

Gordon followed Alfred down the hallway to the other end and down the side stairwell to the next floor. Then, walking along the lower hallway, Alfred gestured towards an open doorway. Even before crossing the threshold, he could hear the voice of a very irritated boy.

“You’re doing it all wrong, Grayson,” There was a tall, red haired boy, leaning against the farthest wall from the door. He was dressed as one of the Three Musketeers: the blue and white, loose-fitting tunic with a large white cross; wide-lipped, brown boots peeking out beneath the tunic; and an even wider brimmed hat with a feather. Richard Grayson was dressed the same.

“Shut up, Roy!” snapped Richard, glaring up from his reclined position over the pool table. Unlike Roy, Dick didn’t have his large-brimmed hat on, allowing the drawn on black mustache to be visible just above his lip.

“Just saying,” Roy said with a shrug.

“Says you,” Richard stated, looking once more down at the pool table spread out before him.

“Says me too,” Barbara added, drawing Gordon’s attention to his daughter, standing a few feet back behind Dick in her Red Riding Hood costume. The hood of her cloak was now down, revealing the two long braids her mother had done before she left.

With arms crossed, Barbara approached Richard who was looking at her with a puzzled look. “What do you mean?” he asked, not immediately dismissing her as he had done with Roy.

“Your angle,” she said simply at first.

Richard looked back at the pool table with a narrowed gaze. “What about my angle?” he asked, looking back at her a moment later.

“She means you’re completely ignoring the affect of your angle, Dickie-boy,” Roy replied for her.

“That and he’s using the wrong one,” she said, gesturing across the table. “Left, closer to the middle hole instead of the far back is what you want, Dick.”

“What!” exclaimed Dick, gawking at her. “How do you figure that? It goes nowhere even near the yellow ball.”

“Don’t you agree, Roy?” she asked with a raised eyebrow in Roy’s direction. Gordon didn’t like the suggestive wink Roy threw back at her and how it made her blush, particularly when Gordon remembered who was Roy’s guardian: the play boy, billionaire known as Oliver Queen.

“I don’t buy it,” Richard declared, interrupting the exchange. “Prove it!” He held out the pool stick to Barbara.

“Yeah, show him what he’s missing, Red,” Roy agreed with a smirk. “Blow his mind!” The suggestive meaning of his words weren’t missed by Gordon or Alfred, who immediately coughed, drawing all three kids’ attentions to Gordon and him.

“Alfred?” Richard said questioningly, before his gaze met Gordon’s. “Oh, hello, Captain Gordon!”

“Dad, is it time to go already?” Barbara asked with a bit of a frown.

“I’m afraid so,” Gordon replied. “It’s getting late. Your mom will be wondering where we are.”

After a long sigh, Barbara nodded in understanding. “Okay,” she said, before turning toward Dick and Roy, who was moving around the table towards their side.

Before the words left her lips, Roy cut in, “Looks like Dick got off light this time. Too bad.”

“Says you two,” Dick scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest. He looked very smug for a boy his age. “It’s more like Babs is getting off proving you two right.”

“Hey! I can still do it,” Barbara told him, before turning to Gordon. “You wouldn’t mind giving me another two or three minutes, would you, Dad? I promise to be quick.”

Raising an eyebrow at her, he saw her give that ever heart-wrenching look that he could never say no to. With a heavy sigh, he said, “Okay, but be quick.”

Barbara beamed a huge grin in his direction, before turning and snagging the pool stick out of Richard’s hands. “Stand back, boys, and watch and learn.”

While Barbara moved around the table to line up her stick, Dick followed her, a bit too closely in Gordon’s opinion. As she lined up the pool stick, she made careful back and forth motions. They bumped a few times into Dick’s the loose fitting tunic. Glancing over her shoulder, she gave him a pointed stare with a half smile. “I said keep back, Dick.”

Putting his hands up, he gave her innocent look. “I am.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Gordon say Roy’s stride over and yank Richard several feet back. “Hey! No crowding the lady, Dickie-boy. At least not until you buy her a meal,” he informed him as his gaze intensely focused on Barbara.

Much to Gordon’s relief, Barbara’s response was a roll of her eyes. “As if that’s enough to get you anywhere with me, Roy,” she told him, returning her attention to her aim.

“Good to know, Red,” Roy responded.

Richard rolled his eyes. “Whatever! Can you just do the shot already?” he asked, sounding irritated.

Closing one of her eyes, she smiled. “As you wish.” Quickly, she shifted the pool stick forward. In a smooth motion it hit the cue ball, sending it sliding across the table into the sold blue ball.

Still watching the ball, Gordon could hear Richard laugh out loud, stating, “Ha! You missed the yellow ball completely. I was right!”

Barbara didn’t respond. Instead, like the rest of them she was watching the blue ball bounce off the left bump before ricocheting diagonally across the table to the closer right bump. There it hit the white and green pool ball, sending it the other way across the table into the sold yellow ball, which effortlessly slid into the farthest left corner with a click.

Roy let out a loud whoop of joy, hitting a gob-smacked Dick in the back. “See! I told you! Much better shot. Goes to prove you should never doubt me, Dickie-boy or Red here.”

Richard frowned at Barbara as she approached him and Roy. “There you go, Dick,” she said, holding the pool stick out to him. He didn’t accept it.

Instead, he folded his arms over his chest. “That was just a lucky shot.”

“No, that’s geometry, Dickie-boy” Roy corrected him, accepting the pool stick from Barbara.

“Whatever,” Richard said with a dismissive sniff.

Barbara rolled her eyes. “Okay, be that way,” she said.

Gordon left her to say her goodbyes, turning toward Alfred again. “Please give my thanks Mr. Wayne for inviting us.”

“I shall endeavor to do so,” Alfred replied. “I’m sure Mr. Wayne was glad that both you and Miss Barbara could attend on such a night.”

“I’m sure,” Gordon politely replied, and then turned back to the kids. He was about to call Barbara over when he noticed a silent exchange in a look between Roy and Barbara. Gordon didn’t know what, but it was clear that Richard hadn’t notice it.

“Are you ready to go, Barbara?” he called to her with a questioning tone.

“Almost,” Barbara called back, glancing briefly at him. Gordon watched as she turned her attention directly onto Dick. He could just hear her say in a soft voice. “Thank you for the game, Dick. I really enjoyed it.”

Richard grumbled under his breath, which earned him a shove from Roy and a glare from Alfred. A sigh fell from Dick’s lips before he said, “I’m glad you could join us, Babs.”

“So am I,” Barbara agreed with a broad grin, and then she leaned in and pressed a quick kiss on Richard's right cheek.

Gordon gapped, looking at Alfred who wore a similar expression. As for the boy in question, his cheeks had grown as red as Barbara’s cloak. His friend, Roy, was silently laughing behind him.

Barbara simply beamed a smile and turned, walking toward her father. “Ready now, Dad.”

“Clearly,” he said, giving her a look that said they would be talking about this in the car. The smile on her face told him that she didn’t care. She got what she wanted: a trick and a treat, this Halloween and was quite happy about it, no matter who knew.


End file.
